Jerome Gascon
Jerome Gascon is Franco Navarro's step-brother and Don Arsenio's step-son from his earlier marriage. Jerome was against his step-father marrying Erlinda and showed his dislike of his father's new family. He was of the same age as Franco and the two often competed and fought with each other. The incessant fighting between the two young boys made Don Arsenio send Jerome to his mother's family in United States perhaps knowing that it was Jerome who would often incite fights with Franco. Jerome greatly resented that Don Arsenio never allowed him back to the Philippines until the latter's death. He also hated that Franco grew closer to Don Arsenio. When Don Arsenio's will was read he was furious to find out that the old man's estate was divided to three equally, Erlinda and Franco inheriting the same amount. His ire grew even further when he realized that Erlinda knew that he was just Arsenio's step-son like Franco was, taking away his pass to claim better inheritance. However, he did receive the more prolific business of Casinos owned by the Gascon Company a fact that he gloated about to Franco. It was said that Jerome quickly sold his shares and went to invest in other resorts and hotels and became quite successful. But his continuous hatred for Erlinda and Franco made him obsessed to take Franco's inheritance still believing that it was his as the man bearing the Gascon name. Through his early adulthood, Jerome continued to scheme against Franco. He used Lucinda to lure Franco into marriage just to have Lucinda who was in love with him to jilt the other man at the altar, a big and long ruse just to shame Franco. Jerome is known for attacking underhandedly that it will appear to the public that he is either the victim or that he is just a well meaning bystander. In Magic Moment, Jerome revealed to Nicky that the biggest reason he hated Franco was for taking away the one woman he truly loved, Karla. Karla had fallen in love with Franco who might or might not have known that Karla was Jerome's girlfriend before taking the woman to his bed. Karla was pregnant with Franco's baby when she suffered a miscarriage and died of it. It was unclear whether Franco was aware of Karla's pregnancy when he broke up with her. Jerome's hatred for Franco afterwards became borderline insane obsession as he coveted everything and anything that Franco calls his own. He often goes to damning plots just to undermine Franco. He once undersold Franco's company as a rival losing a lot of money just to take away a few clients from FN Canning. When he met Beatriz Navarro, he fell in love with Franco's young wife. He sowed seeds of distrust between the new couple believing that Bea will turn to him when Franco leaves her. But his plans were foiled since the two were truly in love with each other. Jerome also deceitfully bought controlling shares at Franco's company but was not voted by the board as it's president over Franco. But would later serve as the company's vice president. He met and married Monica 'Nicky' Montaño, Bea's friend from Sto. Cristo, to everyone's surprise. Franco suspected that Jerome married Monica desiring the ranch that her family owned just like Franco's inheritance from the Sebastian family. But when Nicky's parents died, they've named their oldest son Luis and Monica's then newborn baby as inheritors effectively foiling Jerome's dream of overcoming Franco once more. In Wild Rose, Alvaro commented on the sour relationship between Jerome and Monica. Alvaro and Franco also spoke of how Jerome was slowly poisoning Nick into becoming like him. Jerome grew to be more resentful as he aged. It was noted that his son Nick strived to earn his love and praise but Jerome was hard on his son. He continued to pressure Nick to work harder that everyone causing much misery to the younger man. In Magic Moment, it was revealed that Jerome knew that he was not Nick's real father as he was infertile. At a confrontation with Monica, he found out who Nick's real father was and enraged attacked Franco but shot Monica instead. Jerome was shot and killed by security personnel soon after. Jerome did not age well as he became more sickly and fat through the years.